Rhinebeck, NY (PRWEB) May 14, 2014
Primrose Hill School, which follows the Waldorf philosophy of teaching, has opened its doors in the Village of Rhinebeck. Due to demand, the school has already expanded to include a first grade class in addition to a mixed preschool and kindergarten. The school will add grades each year up to 8th grade.
A spring festival and ribbon cutting celebration will be held at the school on Saturday, May 31st, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to the community. The festival will include music, dancing, free food, children’s activities and a tour of the school.
According to AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America), Waldorf Education is the fastest growing independent educational movement in the world with over 900 schools in 83 countries. This system has transformed education into an art that develops the whole child – physically, emotionally and spiritually —the heart and the hands, as well as the head.
Primrose Hill School is a unique partnership of like-minded families residing in the Rhinebeck and surrounding areas. “The demand is here to educate our young children in a home environment and close to nature,” says co-founder Diana Cohen. “I wanted to facilitate that in a school setting.”
One of the first tenets of the Waldorf classroom is that the teacher works to create a nourishing, warm and beautiful surrounding. The soft peach paint on the wall was carefully chosen to instill a sense of calm. “It’s meant to have a womb like quality. It’s meant to feel like a big hug,” says Ms. Abel, the lead Kindergarten teacher. All of the toys and dolls are crafted from natural materials such as wood, wool and silks. The space is adorned with pinecones, leaves, stones and other items from nature, which are collected by the children on their daily walk.
“It’s hard to believe that just two years ago Primrose Hill was an idea,” remarks Lenissa Byrne, one of the founding parents. “It has been truly magnificent to watch the school become a reality. From finding the teacher to securing a location in the village – all the pieces seemed to fall into place.”
The location is Spring Brook Park, a gorgeous seven acre property in the Gateway District of Rhinebeck Village, off of Route 9 across from the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. Co-founder Jonathan Cohen purchased the property with a partner early in 2013. “The location is key. It is in the Village of Rhinebeck. It’s accessible. It’s set back from the road. It’s safe.” Plans for the property include implementing a permaculture landscape design, children’s vegetable garden and a working farm.
Primrose Hill School is currently accepting applications for their Mixed Age Kindergarten Program, 1st and 2nd grades as well as Parent Child Classes. For more information or to schedule a visit please contact info(at)primrosehillschool(dot)com (845) 876-1226 or visit our website http://www.primrosehillschool.com.
Primrose Hill School
23 Spring Brook Park
Rhinebeck, NY 12572